I'm a refugee from FCP7, where to change a cross dissolve you right-clicked and adjudted the alignment. Now I understand you have to go into the effect controls panel to edit a transition. Fine.

But when I go in to edit my simple cross dissolve, the "alignment" option is grayed out!

It seems that cross dissolves at the end of clips can ONLY end at the cut, and dissolves at the beginning of clips can only start at the cut. I've tried dragging the transition from the effects panel too -- only allows it to be an end-at-cut alignment. WTF?

On my top layer, I have a clip that ends with the end of the speaker's sentence. I don't want to fade into the next clip (which is on the track below -- another camera angle) AS she finishes her sentence. I want to fade during the pause after her last word. In FCP, I'd just add a cross dissolve to the end of the top clip and then change the alignment to "start at edit" in order to achieve this.

WHY can't I do the same here in Premiere?

It seems I am going to have to manually go in and and extend the length of the clip exactly the same # of frames as my cross fade and then apply an "end on cut" transition because that's the only transition available to add to the end of the clip.

That would be nightmarish. You should be able to adjust the alignment of a transition eno matter where it occurs.

Is it really the case that you can't change the alignment of a transition that comes at the end of / beginning of a clip?

Thanks, but that's not the case. The top clip's source clip is the same length as the clip beneath it. There is plenty of room for a transition. I've made a cut manually.

Anyone else / any other ideas? Can someone try to recreate -- just add a cross dissolve to the end of a clip that's been cut (one with plenty of room in the clip after the cut) and see if your alignment menu is grayed out?

Is it really the case that you can't change the alignment of a transition that comes at the end of / beginning of a clip?

That is correct.

It seems I am going to have to manually go in and and extend the length of the clip exactly the same # of frames as my cross fade and then apply an "end on cut" transition because that's the only transition available to add to the end of the clip.

Yes, or move the second clip up/down to the same track. Make them but-to-but and add the cross dissolve.

That is really a shame, as I prefer to keep b-roll on its own track and tweak transitions without having to revise my edits. (I'm sure I'm not alone in wanting to keep different cameras on different tracks.) This seems like an incredibly basic feature to be missing.

Maybe something to add to the list of feature requests from former FCP users?

I've added a feature request. Here is what I wrote. If you agree, I'd be interested in your input! Thanks again.

*******Enhancement / FMR*********

Brief title for your desired feature:

Allow user to adjust the alignment of a transition when it occurs at the beginning or end of a clip, provided there is enough of a handle in the source footage. Currently transition alignment can only be adjusted if the transition is between two clips on the same track.

How would you like the feature to work?

Like FCP7. It can work in either of two ways.

1) When you drag the transition to the cut, you can place it either at the end of the cut, the start of the cut, or middle of the cut.

2) For an existing transition, in the effects control panel, please allow the alignment menu to be active. It's currently grayed out.

Why is this feature important to you?

1) Editors like to keep different camera angles on different tracks. I may have clips of b-roll on a track above camera a, for instance. I want to be able to tweak and fine-tune the transitions on that b-roll without having to either revise my cut or drag the clip down to another track.

2) If I have to drag a clip down to another clips's track just to tweak a transition, I've disorganized my sequence.

3) FCP7 makes this possible with a right-click of any transition, so it's a feature / workflow that has become second nature to much of Premiere's market.

I can see how FCP users' whining has probably gotten old on these forums, and I'll keep that in mind in future posts. I'm right off the boat from FCP.

For this case, however, I feel like it's a very useful feature for typical professional workflow, especially when sharing a project across several editors where keeping footage organized by track is a must. I use as a professional and think many editors would agree.

But your input is helpful, thanks -- I managed to do my edit last night without the feature and I calmed down about it.